Knights! To arms!

The epic feats of the champions of France told by Mimmo Cuticchio, a master puppeteer and heir to the great Sicilian tradition of puppet theatre. His book brings together the great epic stories handed down by word of mouth for generations, preserving their memory and telling them to children, assisted by the stunning illustrations by Tania Giordano. The great stories of Orlando, Rinaldo, Astolpho, Angelica and many other heroes and their antagonists come from the Chansons de geste, the masterpieces of French medieval literature. Their tales came to Italy in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, but it was only some centuries later that they were taken up by Sicilian puppets, giving life to the street shows that have enthralled entire generations for hundreds of years. The stories in the book are told in Italian but there are plenty of Sicilian words that give rhythm and life to the tales. A book for young and old alike, brilliantly blending innovation and tradition. Alle armi cavalieri! Mimmo Cuticchio; illustrations by Tania Giordano Donzelli, 2017